BOSTON - San Diego Wave FC (4-1-0) made club history Friday night, grinding out a 1-0 win over Boston Legacy FC (0-4-0) at Gillette Stadium for the first four-match winning streak in team history. Ludmila delivered the breakthrough in the 63rd minute, finishing a perfectly weighted through ball from Kimmi Ascanio to give the Wave all three points, and Ludmila’s first goal of the season.
The Wave were forced into a more physical, unsettled game than they typically prefer, yet still found a way through. Head coach Jonas Eidevall said afterward that Boston made the match “physical” and “transitional,” preventing San Diego from controlling play the way it usually wants to. But he said the Wave adjusted in the second half and showed the maturity to win in a different way. That showed most clearly after halftime, when San Diego tightened up defensively and capitalized on its best attacking sequence of the night.
Ascanio started the winning move by driving centrally before slipping Ludmila in behind. The Brazilian forward took a touch and curled her finish to the far post for her first goal of the 2026 season and her first as a Wave player. Ascanio called it an “easy assist,” crediting Ludmila’s run and speed in behind.
Kimmi Ascanio. Credit: Wave FC
San Diego then did the rest with discipline and defending.
Leah Freeman recorded her second consecutive shutout, and the Wave back line of Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, Kennedy Wesley, and Mimi Van Zanten helped hold Boston without a shot on goal. Official stats credited San Diego with a 54%-46% possession edge, a 3-0 advantage in shots on target, and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
Wesley described the performance as “very gritty,” saying the group had to stay connected and continue trying to execute the game plan despite difficult conditions and a strong challenge from Boston. She welcomed the physical attention Boston gave her and said the team can take pride in the result while still recognizing there is plenty left to sharpen.
Eidevall cautioned that “it’s one game at a time,” noting how difficult it is to win consistently in the NWSL and saying the Wave still have plenty to improve. But Friday’s result gave San Diego another important marker: a club-record fourth straight win heading into the international break. In a league where styles and game states shift quickly, the Wave showed they can do more than just play well. They can adapt, defend, and finish the one moment that matters.
Standings
The Wave are in first place in the NWSL standings with 12 points and a plus-5 goal differential. Although most teams have only played four games (and two only three), the greatest number of points any team can earn after they’ve played five games is 12. The tiebreaker is goal differential and Angel City currently has a goal differential of plus-six. Stay up with the standings here.
Next Up
Because of the International Break, the team does not play again until April 25 when it plays away at Denver Summit FC at 5:45 p.m. on ION.
Notable
The NWSL named four Wave FC players to the NWSL Best XI for March, the most of any club for the month. They are Kenza Dali, Lia Godfrey, Kennedy Wesley, and Dudinha.
The Wave earned its second shutout of the season.
Top Photo: Ludmila scores in the 63rd minute. Credit: Wave FC Media
